Last week I was riding a rented bike in the French alps and had a flat about 25 kilometers from where I was staying. I did not have a spare tube so I began what I thought would be a long walk. A few minutes later a car stopped and a young Frenchman got out and aked what was my problem. I showed him my flat and he immediately opened the trunk of his car and pulled out a new tube. Without saying a word he replaced my flat, got out a floor pump, pumped up my tire and reinstalled it. As he got back in his car I offered him 20 euros, but he shook his head and spead off.
Cycling Good Samaritan
Fri, 09/03/2004 - 7:12am
Fri, 09/03/2004 - 10:31am
#1
similar story from France
I too had a flat in France about 25K from where I was staying earlier this summer. I had the tools I needed to change the tube and had in fact put in a brand new tube and begun pumping it up, only to find that the tube had a small hole where the valve attached. So I took out the tube and was about to put in my second spare (the only time I ever carried two spare tubes--go figure) when a Frenchman on a bike pulled over to help. Together we put the tire back onto the rim and then, using the language of velo, he insisted on pumping it up. Since I'd just pumped up the holey tube, unbeknownst to him, I was more than happy to hand over my pump. He then did the honors of popping the wheel back into the bike, and we went on our merry separate ways.
Here's to helpful Frenchies!
hannah
Sun, 09/05/2004 - 9:49pm
#2
nm (nm)
